Cheers
by autumnsdark
Summary: Sometimes I wish for a good old fashioned city boy, someone who'll treat me right and won't get piss drunk on a date and then head butt me because he's too drunk to know what's going on. Angela/Owen One-shot.


Cheers

* * *

I knew he would do this, he _always_ does this. And I'm not exaggerating.

"I think one day you'll die from alcohol poisoning."

I looked at Owen pointedly but he was too far gone in his drunken stupor to register my words, he just grinned goofily at me and sloshed his cup of beer around.

"Annngieeee, yerrrrr the best!" he slurred as he leaned over and clunked his head abruptly against mine. Ouch. I'll tell you now, Owen has a very hard head.

"Dammit Owen!" I cried out furiously as I nursed my bruised forehead, "You're such a freak!"

I jumped up from the bar, thoroughly pissed off and stormed away leaving Kathy to play babysitter to that drunken idiot. I bet he'd be spending his night in one of the inn's beds. Again.

Seriously, what was wrong with him? I mean he asks me out and then drinks himself silly, Goddess, he head butted me on a date! You can bet you wouldn't find idiots like that in the city, damn, I miss city boys. Someone classy, refined and gentlemanly! But lucky me, I get stuck with that arrogant Gill, or Chase who's terrible to Maya, or Toby a.k.a. the laziest man on Earth, or Luke who practically chopped off my head with his axe, or the oh so severe Jin, or Julius who makes me feel bad about my fashion sense, or Calvin…alright, Calvin isn't so bad. Too bad Phoebe's already got him.

Owen wasn't terrible when I met him, even though he was pointlessly smashing up rocks, he was kind, cute and understanding. Handy too, with a good sense of humour. Yes, I liked him very much but of course he turns out to be a crazy alcoholic. His one flaw was the one thing I couldn't look past, maybe I'm being picky but getting a head butt from a guy who reeks of beer is just the last straw.

My cheeks were still flushed with anger when I tromped into my house. I was absolutely beside myself with annoyance and irritation, when that man was sober in the morning I was going to give him a good yelling. I almost laughed; it would be ten times worse for him with his hangover. I'd have to remember to yell extra loudly.

--

"—it was just…_rude!_ Stupid and rude! I don't know how else to put it!" I flung my hands into the air, exasperated as I stared at the man before me. He was doing his job and smashing up more rocks, of course he had a raging hangover and he looked absolutely dreadful. Dark circles under his eyes, mussed up russet coloured hair, his favourite jacket was full of wrinkles and his pants were messily stuffed into his work boots. He looked like a downright mess, and I didn't fall short in telling him so.

"Ange, I don't care if you want to reprimand me or anything," he sighed as he brought his hammer down heavily to smash another rock, "just try and do it more quietly, my head is just killing me."

"And why do you think that is? Huh? Why! Because you _drink_ so much, dammit! How do you think I feel when...when you ask me out and then get piss drunk? I feel embarrassed, that's how I feel. 'Oh look, there goes Angela, the one with the drunkard boyfriend!' that's how they'll know me! The drunk guy's girl!" I hoped this was grating on his nerves because hearing my shrill voice pierce the usually peaceful morning air was even annoying me. I could even see Luke, Bo and Dale over in their yard down the path watching the spectacle. It was just morning entertainment with Angela the crazy farmer and Owen the seasoned alcoholic.

I continued to stalk back and forth in front of the blacksmiths shop as I yelled and pointed and stamped my feet and threatened and cried and yelled some more. I was causing quite the ruckus and Owen stayed silent through it all. It was really starting to bother me.

"Well? Don't you have anything to say?!" I shrieked at him, more like shrieked at his back actually, since he hadn't turned to face me once in my tirade, "Earth to Owen! I asked you a question!"

The hammer pounded and shattered another rock loudly and he turned around then, looking very _very_ pissed off. "Shut up Angela, just…shut up!"

My jaw dropped, Owen never really talked back to me like _that_.

"Dammit, maybe I drink so much because you're so damn _annoying_. You're so overbearing on me, I mean, what do you want? It's just drinking, you're so high strung, seriously! If it bothers you so damn much go find someone else, I don't mind, in fact you'd be doing me one heck of a favour!" He sucked in a mouthful of air and straight out glared at me, "Why do I even put up with you?"

"I…I think…You! You're –" I stuttered uselessly, why did Owen put up with me? I knew I wasn't perfect, in fact people in town had nick named me the shrieking harpy for Goddess sakes. I wasn't exactly well liked, but Owen put up with me because…because why? I didn't know.

Goddess, I was such a bitch.

"I'm…sorry." I choked out finally, my face burned with embarrassment instead of fiery anger and I turned around and walked away as quickly as I could.

He found me later that day at Caramel Falls, I had been talking to Toby but he'd made some lame excuse that he had to be at On the Hook when I knew it was closed today. Whatever, more space for me, and more fish too. Toby always fished out the place.

"Ange."

I tilted my head to see Owen coming up the gravelly path and sighed. It was time to 'talk', I hated talking about relationships it was so awkward and embarrassing and I had been embarrassed enough for one day, thank you very much. But I reeled up my fishing rod anyway and acknowledged him with a curt nod and a tight lipped fake smile.

"Owen."

He smirked at me, "You're looking a little sour."

"Yeah, yeah, how'd you even know I was here anyway?"

"I just saw Toby down the way," he shrugged, "he looked kind of annoyed, I just put two and two together, you know?"

I sighed sadly, "Yeah, I know."

Owen walked over and took a seat beside me on a large smooth rock, I could smell the smoky grit from the furnace he worked at and wrinkled my nose. If things weren't as awkward as they were at the moment I would have told him to go take a shower or something.

"Angela," he began, I braced myself, "do you know you can be a real huge bitch sometimes?"

I let out a shaky breath, "You…you really think that?"

"Heck, the whole town thinks that. If you weren't so good at that farming thing you do I think they'd be running you out with pitchforks and fire."

I groaned loudly as I buried my face into my hands, "That's great to hear, thanks."

"Well Ange," He placed a large calloused hand on my drooping shoulder, "Sometimes the truth hurts, but you gotta hear it. You're one hell of a bitch, hot tempered, sharp tongued, mean looks and all, the whole darn package."

I frowned as I stared steadily into the stream; I resisted the urge to shrug away his hand and to tell him to stick his head somewhere unpleasant. At least I understood one thing, this was Owen's way of trying to help me. He was a forward kind of guy, he walked the straight line. His honesty was something he prided himself on, it was also something that I found attractive in him.

"But I think you can change, Angela." He told me softly as his hand slid down my back and pulled me into a rough half hug. "There's another side of you that's there. I know it. Heck, I've seen it. You _can_ be a great person to be around, you just have to…"

"Try?" I supplied hopefully. "I don't really try, you know? I just let it all go without disregard and I don't care."

"Maybe you should start caring. It helps." I could hear a hint of laughter in his voice and I sagged down a little more, feeling humiliated.

"How's about this." He turned my head to face him, "You start caring and I'll judge it, the more you care, the less I'll drink."

"You mean the less I act like a bitch."

He laughed loudly, "Yeah, that's what I mean. How's about it? Deal?"

I bit my lip as I looked up at his smiling face, "Answer me one question first?"

His eyes lit up with an amused spark, "What's that?"

"Why do you put up with me?"

I could see his smiling face falter for a good second or so, his eyes went dull, his smile went into a frown, his face went slack. I looked away, too cowardly to face him when he said his answer.

"You're a fool Ange," He said laughingly and he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his lap, "Why the heck do you think I put up with a crazy city girl like you?"

I was flushed with giddy embarrassment as I wiggled around in his lap, trying to break away from his tight embrace, "I-I don't know!" I was tempted to tell him it was because of the sex, but then I remembered that we hadn't even had intercourse yet. "Because you feel sorry for me?"

He shook his head with a deep frown, "Nope, I don't give out pity points remember?" He kissed the tip of my nose, "C'mon, the answer's easy."

I thought I knew the answer, but I was too embarrassed to say it. 'You put up with me because…' the response rang out in my head but my mouth had shut down, it refused to open, so I just stared stupidly into Owen's brown eyes.

He finally got tired of waiting for me to answer and laughed, "Angela, Angela, Angela." He shook his head and grinned, "It's because I love you, of course."

_So_ cliché. And if he and I weren't in this kind of awkward yet enjoyable position I would have told him so, because it was. But that's what I liked about Owen, he was dependable, hard working, honest, true to his emotions and yes, sometimes cliché. Actually, I was quite touched by his words. I was also quite touched by the kiss that followed.

"Oh, by the way," He said thoughtfully as we walked back to the blacksmiths, "I'm not mad at you."

I stopped and let go of his hand, "Whoever said I thought I was mad at you?"

"Ange, it was written all over your face. The guilt, the pain, the suffering." He laughed and made a grab for my hand again but I pulled away and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Don't pretend to know what I'm thinking." I responded haughtily.

He eyed me with a smirk on his lips, "I don't have to pretend, I _know_. Like right now, you're thinking 'he's got me cornered' and I'm thinking of having a good round of shots tonight because I'm sensing major bitchiness in this general area."

He pointed in my direction and I pouted, "No _fair_!" I whined as I walked over and grasped his hand again, "It's not my fault I wear my heart on my sleeve. And I can't help being a bitch, it's who I am."

"No it's not, it's who you choose to be. There's a lot of non-bitchiness in you that goes unseen." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Maybe it's an image thing…You got an image thing going on, Ange?"

I retorted angrily and rudely and that night Owen drank himself silly. Again.

* * *

Something I wasn't planning on uploading (seeing as that I'm on hiatus and all), but I've been noticing an influx of Luke, Gill and Chase fics so I decided to shoot this one out there. Not your average pleasantly sweet and lovable hero farmer girl. Bitch!Angela is cooler, if you ask me.

I'm not asking for reviews or anything, just read and enjoy all that is Owen.


End file.
